Hi! This is a very enlightening chat, I have been off Pristiq for 3 weeks now, weened from 100 to 50 then stop. On day three I was getting a long needed massage and when asked to turn over into my stomach, I began spinning like I was inside a barrel rolling down a hill and got that overwhelming heat wave and started vomiting uncontrollably! My husband had to pick me up and I had nausea and dizzieness intermittently still. I saw the doctor after finally reading about SSRI withdrawal and He went with a viral inner ear infection over SSRI discontinuation Syndrome. I also had been experiencing severe muscle aches and spasms that I wrote off as results from massage releasi ng toxins but the pain has gotten worse, coming in waves at times! All I could do on Sat was lay around with ice packs and moan like a kitten. Saw doctor again, similar symptoms are common with Statin drug intolerance so my Statin has been changed, still no acknowledgement of SSRI withdrawal. I told him how much I cried the day our city lost 4 brave fire fighters and was wondering if my emotions had been masked when on Pristiq, he pointed to my smiling drivers license picture in the front of my chart and said he thinks I need to go back on the Pristiq so I can be that smiling girl I used to be. Wrong answer, I told him, I haven't even got the crap out of my system yet! I promised to try a different antidepressant if it looks like I really need it but it is just too soon. (My emotions have been masked for the last 4 years! The real ME is finally peaking out and speaking out again!) I look back and realize that the medical field has practiced on my body and has not always come to the right conclusions...I was put on antidepressants to treat depression symptoms that were really side effect of hypothyroidism that went untreated for years. Once treated, no adjust ments to SSRIs were made. More of these depressive symptoms have lingered and don't you know, they are probably due to my being vitamin D deficient which was just recently diagnosed! They say depression is caused from a chemical imbalance, but hormone imbalances must also be addressed at the same time! Along these same lines, to top it off, at my annual eye exam, they discovered my bifocal line is way too high, which means I am trying to see distance with my computer reading line! The lens shop also discovered that the wrong prescription was also placed in my glasses last year! I reported problems with the glasses right away but these issues were not identified so I have suffered with chronic headaches and blurry vision for the last year! Lessons learned, don't hesitate to read about your illnesses or symptoms, you know your body BEST and can assist the medical field in treating you as a whole person, not just one symptom at a time. Knowledge is power, it doesn't make you a hypochondriac! If you are told it is all in your head, change doctors! We are complex beings that need at least one medical professional to coordinate all the results in order to try to see the big picture. Scream at the top of your lungs until your voice is heard and your concerns are addressed! This is the only life you have! I have lost way too much quality in my life because of misdiagnoses or medication side effects. I have prepared my husband that the real ME is coming out, good and bad, but real, the woman he fell in love with. He is looking forward to meeting ME again! Thanks for listening and for reinforcing what my soul is telling me, Getting off of Pristiq is the best thing I can do in order to live a full life again!

After reading your post, it just cements my feelings even more about this horrible drug. I am seeing my doc today for this first time since going off. I am telling him about this board. I had bouts of dizziness and it was not like yours but still awful. Now I am 6 weeks off Pristiq and my husband has noticed a real difference in me too. And to all of you out there reading these posts, look at the common statements we all are making. They are real and those of us that have been successful in getting of the med, it can be done!!! As texassugar said above, all the pills only mask the issues, not resolve them. As much as I love my doctor, he could have done a better job in monitoring my symptoms. This stuff and all of them are not meant for long term use. The serotonin syndrome is real, terrible and is caused by all of the drugs. Good for you Texas in your success, keep posting because it helps. We all can identify with you and we are supporting each other.

Hi! Thank you for reinforcing my feelings of hope you guys. I have not only been flat emotionally for many years on Pristiq, and for a while also on Geodon, an anti psychotic med given for a label/misinterpreted diagnoses of being Bipolar, but have found that the very symptoms these meds are supposed to treat are the easiest most prevalent ones they cause me to feel! Flat emotion leads to apathy which leads to procrastination which leads to self loathing for not being able to accomplish life tasks, work or be the energetic person I used to be. I am beginning my fourth week off of Pristiq. I had a fairly productive weekend in the kitchen cooking, reorganizing cabinets, making trash on a mostly sleepless Sat night. Husband had to remind me that I slept quite a bit in my chair during the day so I really don't need to start worrying about actually being bipolar/manic after all! these self deprecating and non productive patterns of being have become character flaws that are my ready, go to emotional and believing states because the were reinforced by my symptoms for so long. I am just starting to feel joy in my mini accomplishments and realize that the increasing energy I am feeling and putting forth on these small tasks are not signs that another certifiable psych diagnoses is surfacing, but an honest enthused effort to feel ALIVE again, no longer stepping into walls and just dreaming of what I'd like to do! Hubby is invaluable in the memory department, he has been sharing how he is beginning to see the person I used to be in the last couple of weeks. This is the positive reinforcement we all need as we work so hard to IIve and think again without so many neurotransmitters bouncing around in our brains. Until doctors recognize that this SSRI discontinuation Syndrome is for real, we will just have to continue to provide each other the support needed to succeed in rehab without these powerful medications. I encourage everyone to reach out for some counseling during this process for additional reinforcement and assistance in 're-framing those negative thoughts into positive self-talk. It can also be a place to deal with any resentments that may surface as the "mental fog" lifts and you begin feeling the, "life" we are intended to experience and perhaps begin to identify with what was masked when being medicated. You are a beautiful, loving being that deserves to live, love, and laugh so completely that it makes the light of your Soul blind those around you! (Especially if the only ones around are your spouse's and kids ) , Sending a big hug to everyone!